Not a dead issue

Just finished our daily chat with Billy Beane, we also got Bob Geren today. They shared some thoughts about the 2009 club, which you can read about in tomorrow’s A’s notebook. Surprisingly, Beane did surrender a bit of news regarding Rafael Furcal. The A’s are likely to talk with the shortstop’s agent, Paul Kinzer, at some point before leaving Vegas. “I’m sure we’ll talk to him at some point. It’s still an open issue,” Beane said.

I wouldn’t get too excited over that statement. Kinzer said all along he planned to have a follow-up discussion after Furcal rejected the A’s four-year offer. Teams haven’t beaten down Furcal’s door, so he better keep the lines of communication open! But the Dodgers are starting to make a push to bring Furcal back in 2009. It’s known they’ve extended him an offer. But we now know the A’s haven’t completely shut the door. In related news, a report surfaced Tuesday that the A’s met with the agent for fellow free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera on Monday night. That’s also not a surprise, but remember that the A’s are reluctant to sign somebody who would cost a high draft pick. And Cabrera is a “Type A” free agent, meaning the A’s would surrender a second-round pick in June’s draft if they signed him (their first-round pick is protected).